Friends or Meh?
by XxXAnimeFreakXxX
Summary: -AU- Shikamaru arrives back at school for a new term and discovers that not everything is going to be the same this year.. Shikamaru X Temari.. R&R rated for safety
1. Introduction

**Hey first story!!! About time too!!!!!! It took me about three months to get this far! Ok so there may be a bit of OOC-ness in here but that can't be helped at present.. Please read and review! (they make me fuzzy inside!) oh and yes I KNOW THAT ITS SHIKAMARU'S BIRTHDAY THE DAY BEFORE INO'S BUT I'VE DECIDED THAT, FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY, THAT IT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED.. sorry if there is any confusion in future chapters!!**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any associated characters but I do own this plot!! BOOYA!!_**

"SHIKAMARU NARA GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF BED RIGHT NOW". It was Ino again. Ok, so being best friends with Ino had its highs and lows, but being aroused every weekday at half eight in the morning cannot be counted as a high point.

Don't get me wrong, Ino is one of the best friends anyone could ask for. She's always there for me whenever I need her, but it's times like this that I wish we had never met.

For me, this is just another ordinary Monday morning. Being dragged out of my bed (late as usual) only to have enough time to shovel a bowl of cereal into my mouth and then trudge along to school.

I don't really see the point in school. I mean what the hell?! Nobody listens, it's too early and I'm not exactly learning anything that I don't know already.

It's far too troublesome.

As we left the house, Ino continued to babble on about some new random boy. "Shika, stop daydreaming. We need to get Chouji, look you've already passed his house!"

She was shrieking everything in an unusual high pitched voice. "Ugh … what's with you?" I said clearly. "whaddya mean?" she screeched. I knew that look.

Ino was keeping something from me again. I could always tell because she couldn't keep herself from blushing. There wasn't much point in arguing with her.

She always won. I couldn't really be bothered to argue anyway. I felt really weird. "hey how are you guys!" Chouji bounded over to us with a big grin on his face.

This wasn't unusual either. He was always happy. It could get really irritating sometimes though. Today was the start of a new term but I knew that everything was going to change.

It was going to be very different.

* * *

Walking through the gate, I saw all the old faces but yet there was one or two that I didn't recognise. I strolled over to Naruto, sakura and sasuke, glad to see them again.

"hey" I mumbled and waved. They started talking to me straight away oblivious to the fact that I wasn't paying attention. My eyes had drifted beyond Naruto to a sallow skinned girl with sandy blonde hair.

Thank Kami they didn't notice my lack of attention. All I had to do was mumble one or two words and they wouldn't know the difference. I was transfixed.

She wasn't the prettiest girl I had ever seen, nor the worst but there was something about her that I couldn't explain. Something strange… in a good way I think.

As I said, I can't really explain it. I hadn't seen her before but I could tell she wasn't new. Her hair was pulled up in four of the most bizarre ponytails I had ever seen but looked affluent.

She was standing alone, her hand on her hip with a permanent scowl etched on her face. I felt slightly sorry for her.. That is until she realised I was looking (well maybe staring) at her and started shouted at me.

"Am I wearing something that belongs to you?!" she barked. "No.. I.. I..". All eyes were on me as I stuttered, feeling foolish. "Or do you just want a picture?

It would last longer" she continued. Her abrupt manner caught me off guard. I was going to be nice to her, maybe try to be friendly… It was no wonder she hadn't any friends.

Naruto raised his eyebrows at me as temari stalked off. "What the hell was that all about?" he laughed, causing Shikamaru's eye to twitch.

"Dunno, troublesome hormonal female species…. She new??" I questioned. He stared at me wide-eyed. "You don't know who that is?! She's practically royalty!".

I looked around as everyone nodded their heads, confirming what Naruto had said. "She's Sabaku No Temari.. Her Father is the Daimyo of Suna!". I couldn't get my head around this girl.

I was so confused!.

* * *

**So that was the first chapter!! feedback is greatly appreciated.. Flames ignored, constructive critism is welcomed!! thanks for reading**


	2. Surprise visit

**Here's the next chapter for you!! I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed so far and I hope that you will continue to review in the future! So to answer some questions: Gaara and Kankurou WILL be in this story at some point, I promise XD please R&R**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any associated characters.. I do own this plot however.**_

Ok, so it's me, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, Naruto, Tenten, Sasuke and Neji at the lunch table and out of the blue, this Temari one appears next to us and sits down at our table without asking.

Nobody told her to move, so we just continued to eat our lunch in silence, frequently glancing awkwardly at each other. Temari either didn't notice or really didn't give a damn.

After about ten minutes, Ino acknowledged Temari's presence. "Hey Temari-Chan, how was your summer?". Temari turned to Ino and eyed her up and down before replying.

"Ok, until I got back to this dump". She threw me an evil look and rolled up her sleeves. Great, now she wants a fight.

That is the last thing I need right now. I'm in enough trouble already (I fell asleep in the first two classes.. I'd still be asleep if it wasn't for Chouji nudging me hard in the ribs).

It turns out that she didn't want to fight. She extended her arm across the table, her left sleeve dipping into Chouji's food (he didn't look too happy!).

"I'm Temari, and you are?". Wait… what? This morning she was picking a fight and now she's introducing herself like nothing happened.

I held out my hand wearily, half afraid she was going to trick me and give me a Chinese burn or something. "Shikamaru Nara" I muttered.

She shook my hand, finished the last of her food and walked off. The whole table was looking at me astounded. Sakura laughed nervously. I hate women.. They make absolutely no sense at all!

* * *

It was four days until Ino's birthday. I was sitting in science, staring out the window at the clouds when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

A message from Ino flashed up on the screen. I admit I was really curious as she was sitting only three rows behind me. '_party? The cinema? Saturday at four? Ino xxx'.._

I didn't text back but caught up with her after class.

"What do you mean when you say "party"" I asked inquisitively.

"oh just the usual.. Just you me and Chouji.. I wouldn't want it any other way. I know you probably don't want to come because how would you put it? "it's too tiring" yeah that's it.. Please though, I'd love you to come".

She smiled warmly at me as though daring me to object. "yeah ok I'll come.. Your impression of me sucks though". she laughed as we walked up to the cafeteria.

We discussed the cinema plans all through lunch and over the last four classes. By the time it came to walking home, she had everything picked out, the movie, the time we were going to see it and even the clothes she was going to wear.

I loved being a guy. You didn't even have to bother with dressing up. Just throw on a clean shirt and jeans and you actually look like you've _tried. _

Poor Ino went to the expense of getting new clothes to wear and even a pair of heeled shoes. She was always into the fashion scene but she doesn't really have to try because she always looks glamorous anyway.

At least that's what people tell me!

* * *

It wasn't even a weekday and I could see the familiar figure of Ino standing right in front of me, threatening to spill a cup of water over my head if I didn't get up and help her choose what colour top to wear.

Why was she asking me? It was too early for my brain to work properly. It didn't bother me that I was only in my boxers. Ino and I were practically siblings.

I opened my eyes as little as possible and squinted to make sure that barely any light entered. "the blue one" I mumbled as I closed my eyes again.

"I thought pink looked better" Temari said, eyeing me up and down. "Oh yeah I hope you don't mind Shika but I wanted Temari to come as well, so I invited her over here to get ready" Ino laughed.

I tried to process what she said as I sat up in the bed. I took in my room and its surroundings.

That Temari girl was standing at the door… Temari is standing at the door… oh Kami I'm here half naked and she's there grinning over at me like it was nothing new.

Ino understood by the look on my face that I was disgusted and ushered Temari out of my room and down to the kitchen while I got dressed. I tried my best to look good and it didn't turn out too bad.

I yawned widely as I dragged myself down the stairs. "twenty minutes it took you, y'know!? We're going to be late now" Ino scowled.

She had a fierce manner about her which made me feel slightly guilty. "And we still have to go and pick up Chouji!". she grabbed my ear and pulled me from the house, waving goodbye to my mother as she did so.

Temari laughed and followed us willingly down the road to Chouji's house.

* * *

**So there you have the second chapter.. Please let me know what you think!! Flames ignored, constructive criticism is welcomed!!**


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